


Bright Nights (the weather outside is frightful)

by SadieAndor



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Baze and Chirrut own a coffee shop, Bodhi ships it, F/M, Hot Cocoa, Rain, Rey is three and everyone loves her, and rain, less plot than hallmark, lots of Christmas lights, thrift store shopping, umbrella sharing, unnecessary references to card/board games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:01:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21585001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadieAndor/pseuds/SadieAndor
Summary: It's the most romantic time of the year, right?Or: Cassian is a human disaster with a crush, Bodhi ships it, and it's Christmas time.
Relationships: Cassian Andor/Jyn Erso, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 92
Kudos: 168





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably the most self indulgent thing I've ever written. Don't think too hard about it, and enjoy!

“Oi, what’s wrong with you?”

Cassian looks up from his drink at Bodhi sitting next to him. “What? Oh, nothing. Just a little out of it today, is all.”

It’s a Sunday evening in October and they’re at The Guardian Coffee Company like they are every week, playing Clue and watching Baze put up the same well-worn Halloween decorations he does every year.

“Yeah, no. You’ve been “out of it” for what, two weeks? And you keep  _ sighing _ .”

“Do not.”

"Yes, you do. Something’s going on, so spill it.”

He considers for a moment, realising there’s no avoiding this. “Well… I guess. So there’s this girl.”

"Yes?”

"She’s in my Canadian History class, and she’s… she’s perfect. Literally perfect.”

"I sincerely doubt that,” Kay says from the other side of Bodhi as he moves his pawn toward the conservatory, “No one is perfect. You are infatuated with her, and it’s mixing up your logic.”

Cassian leans back on his stool to glare at his roommate. “I’m not infatuated. She’s just pretty, is all. And super smart. And confident. Objectively perfect.”

Bodhi says nothing, but raises an eyebrow as if to say,  _ do you hear yourself? _

“Ok, so maybe I’m kind of attracted to her.”

“ _ Kind of attracted?  _ Cassian, I’ve seen you kind of attracted. This isn’t kind of attracted, this is you completely smitten. So what’s this perfect beauty’s name?”

He sighs. “Jyn. She even has a pretty name.”

Bodhi chokes on his drink, sputtering as Kay pounds him unnecessarily on the back. “Jyn Erso?”

“Um,” Cassian narrows his eyes. “Probably? I haven’t met many Jyns. Why, do you know her?”

“Tiny little brunette with an English accent?”

“Yeah.” He rolls the die and moves his game piece into the ballroom without paying much attention to what he’s doing.

“Wow, Cassian. Of all the girls in the world…”

“You do know her?”

"Of course I know her! Remember my old school friend who I camp with every year?”

“I thought her name was Jenna, or something.”

“Jyn. Her name is Jyn. And you’re in love with her!”

Cassian puts his head down and swears under his breath.  _ Of all the girls in the world is right. _ Bodhi’s going to be insufferable.

“Whatever. Professor plum in the ballroom with the lead pipe.”

“Who’s Cassian in love with?” Baze asks from across the room. 

“Actually, you guys would be cute together!”

Cassian just groans. “Professor plum. In the ballroom. With the lead pipe.”

__

*

Three weeks later, nearing the middle of November, Cassian’s at the thrift store down the street from his apartment. He stands in line for the change rooms, three sweaters over his arm to try on, listening to the Christmas carols blasting throughout the store. All the employees are wearing some ridiculous festive accessory, be it a Santa hat or reindeer antlers or an ugly sweater.

It’s a little ridiculous, honestly. Cassian’s never been a “put the tree up in November” kind of person, leaning more towards “leave everything to the last minute and buy gifts December 19th.”

Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to get an early start, this year. Bodhi almost always has his shopping done by the time December rolls around. He could at least start thinking about what he’s buying for his friends, and maybe be organized enough to send an actual gift to his nephew in Portland instead of his usual solution, a twenty tucked into a card with a corny joke inside. 

This will be Rey’s first Christmas with Baze and Chirrut, and so he can get something for her (and what do you buy for a three year old? Cassian’s not sure). Bodhi would be happy with a new card-or-board game for his ever-expanding collection. At least Kay is easy - he’s told him exactly what he wants and where to buy it cheapest every year since they were teenagers.

“Sir? Are you in line?” Someone asks, and he looks up, realizing there’s no one in front of him.

“Sorry,” he says, stepping into the change room, thoughts of Christmas shopping temporarily leaving his head while he tries on the sweaters.

Of the three, only one ends up fitting, a charcoal grey turtleneck that he doesn’t hate. He texts Shara before he leaves, asking about board and/or card games for Bodhi, then steps out into the breezeway and directly into someone walking past. Suddenly Cassian’s bags and her books are on the ground between them.

“Sorry, I’m so sorry,” he says, crouching down at the same time she does to gather his things, “I wasn’t watching.”

"Are you all right?” She asks, and Cassian freezes.  _ Tiny little brunette with an English accent. _

Sure enough, because the universe is like that, he looks up to see Jyn Erso, her hair up in a messy bun, wearing a hoodie several sizes too big and an expression that says guarded concern

“I’m fine, you’re ok?”

“I’m fine.” She picks up her books. “Hey, you’re in my History class, aren’t you?”

“Um… yeah. Yeah, I am. You’re Jyn, right?”

“Yep. And you’re…”

“Cassian.” And now he sounds like such a creep, because he knows who she is and she doesn’t. “I - uh - I’m friends with Bodhi. He talks about you a lot, that’s why I knew…“ His brain is screaming at him to  _ shut up, you sound like an idiot! _

“Oh, cool. Bodhi is pretty great. Well, I have to go. Nice to meet you, Cassian.” And kriff, if his name doesn’t sound so much better when she says it…

“Yeah,” and why can’t he say something witty? “You too. See you next class.”

They’re going opposite directions, thank the stars, and Cassian makes it two blocks before he calls Bodhi to completely freak out, because he just (literally) ran into Jyn Erso and now she probably thinks he’s a creep or an idiot or both.

*

He’s not sure whether he did something very right or something very wrong for the universe to treat him like this, but a week later Cassian finds himself walking down a busy sidewalk,  _ very  _ close to Jyn.

It didn’t start raining until halfway through their class, but when it did it was loud enough to hear in the lobby of the building.

He’d managed not to make a complete fool of himself that day, returning Jyn’s wave without any awkwardness, and then when she’d groaned about her textbooks ending up wet, he’s pretty sure it was a natural place to ask how far she had to go.

And when he found out her apartment was within two blocks of his? It would have been ungentlemanly not to invite her to walk with him. His IKEA umbrella is far too big for one person, anyway.

So now they’re walking together, staying close so neither gets wet. This is definitely a reward or a punishment but he’s not sure which one and he’s so  _ creepy _ because they’re not even friends and here he is thinking like this.

“They’re pretty,” Jyn says, breaking the silence. 

Cassian looks up from the ground. “Hmm?”

“The lights, I mean. On the balconies.” 

He cranes his neck to see around the edge of the umbrella. He hadn’t noticed, but a lot of the apartments above them are covered in strings of colourful lights, one even including a family of inflatable snowmen beside the deck furniture.

“They are quite nice.”

“I keep meaning to get some for my apartment. Christmas lights are one of my favourite parts of December.”

“It’s November.”

“Shut up, you know what I mean!”

He can’t hide his smile, disguising it instead as a sarcastic chuckle. Maybe this this time he can think of something witty to say.

"This is me,” she says before he can, gesturing to the building he was about to walk past. “I guess I’ll see you next class?”

“Sure, Yes.” He walks her to the awning (just to keep her from getting wet, of course, not because he doesn’t want her to leave, or anything). 

“Thanks, Cassian.” She enters the code for the door and slips into the building, leaving him alone in the rain.  _ Next class,  _ he thinks.

But it won’t be that long.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this whole thing is about halfway done. I'm not quite sure yet what my posting schedule is going to be but my goal is about once a week and complete just before Christmas.

Not only does Cassian miss his bus from work the next day, but the next one, supposed to arrive fifteen minutes after, is ten minutes late. He has his umbrella but no jacket, and he’s shivering by the time the orange lights declaring the bus’s number can be seen over the hill. He spends the entire ride standing with someone’s wet umbrella pressed against his thigh, and the windows are fogged enough that he misses his stop and has to walk three extra blocks, shivering again.

So when Cassian opens the door to Bodhi’s apartment, he’s not in the best of moods. 

Kes, since he’s in the kitchen, is the first to see him, with a shout of “Hey Bodhi, Andor’s here!” 

“Shut up, Dameron,” Cassian sighs in a reference to their running joke. “What’s up?”

“The ceiling, why?”

He just groans, taking the container of butter tarts he’s been carrying around all day out of his bag and putting it on the counter.

“Aw, c’mon, it’s a good joke.”

He opens his mouth to say  _ maybe the first seventeen times  _ just as Bodhi comes out of the living room.

“You’re late,” he says.

“Well I’m SORRY, but things went long and then I missed the bus and the next one was - “

“Oi,” someone else walks into the kitchen, cutting him off, and Cassian realizes where Bodhi must have learned that particular exclamation. “Leia and I are starting Resistance, does anyone - Oh, hi Cassian.” 

“Hey, Jyn,” he says, glancing back at Bodhi.  _ Why didn’t you tell me,  _ he tries to say with his eyes, but he only grins. Traitor. “I didn’t know you would be here.”

“Sorry to be such a disappointment,” She says, and he’s reasonably sure she’s joking. 

“No… no, I just…” 

She’s smirking. Definitely a joke. Then her smirk melts into a genuine smile at something Kes says that he missed and _kriff_ he's going to melt into a puddle right here. This is ridiculous, he barely knows her.

“Leia and I want to play Resistance if you’re interested,” Jyn says, directing this to Bodhi and Kes. Then she turns back to him. “What about you? You like being betrayed?”

“Sure, I’ll play,” he says and Bodhi gives him a look. Which is fair, since he has never pretended to even tolerate the shouting-match-disguised-as-a-game that is The Resistance. Thankfully, he doesn’t say anything as they file into the main space.

It’s amazing, how many people can fit into the living-and-dining area of Bodhi and Luke’s little apartment. Leia waiting at the table with the game in front of her, Shara and Han arguing about the value of Han’s car while Poe and Ben fight over the toy school bus Luke keeps in the corner for them, Kay trying (unsuccessfully) to escape a scolding from Baze,

They call these their monthly get togethers, even though in reality, they happen sporadically. Usually when Bodhi is bored enough to plan something.

Bodhi whispers something to Kes, and they both sit down next to Leia. Cassian sits on the bench opposite them, and realizes why when Jyn sits down beside him.

They start the game, and this is  _ not  _ a good one for him to play with Jyn. Although to be fair, she seems to be an excellent liar to everyone, so it might not just be his soft spot for her that has him believing her insistance that she’s definitely not a spy. She and Kes easily win within four missions.

“One more round,” Bodhi says when he’s done complaining about it. Cassian convinces Kay to take his place and settles on the couch between Shara and Baze.

"No Rey?” He asks, and Baze shakes his head. 

“She’s got a nasty cold. I was going to stay home too, but Chirrut insisted I come.”

“Yeah. Poe was sick last week,” Shara says, “It’s that time a of year.”

Han comes back with a drink and a butter tart a moment later. “Get your butt out of my seat,” he says to Cassian. He gets up as asked, mostly because he wants a drink himself. Not that there’s much of that in the kitchen, the pitcher of whatever it is Han has empty. The kettle’s boiling, but he’s never been much a tea person. Usually Luke is the one to keep rootbeer or the scary pink cream soda he loves so much around. While he’s away, it seems, Bodhi can’t be bothered. Which is fair. Cassian can’t be bothered either.

There’s a sudden commotion from the other room.

“No, it’s Jyn. It’s absolutely Jyn!”

“I swear it isn’t me. Kes is the suspicious one, he was on both missions!”

Cassian moves to the doorway to watch the game just as Jyn stands up, slamming her hands down on the table. “Come on, who are you going to believe? Kes was a spy last game, you know he can lie!”

“So can you – So can she! You were the spy too! Come on, guys. You trust me, right?”

"Not really,” Bodhi says, “but I don’t trust Jyn either.”

“They cannot both be spies,” Kay says, “Or else they would accuse someone else. Bodhi needs to decide which one of them it is, and who the unaccused spy is, or else we lose automatically.”

Kes snorts. “You say  _ we _ like you’re Resistance. We all know you’re a spy.”

"You cannot know that, there is no logical way.”

“You’re the worst liar anyone’s ever met Kay, come on.”

This is why Cassian likes Resistance best as a spectator. By some magic, Bodhi guesses right (Kes, again), and with another bout of outraged argument, the players migrate away from the table. Kes settles on the floor by Shara’s feet, Leia squeezing herself beside Han on the couch. 

“So is anyone interested in the Christmas Train this year?” Leia says. “My parents bought tickets for next week, but Ben’s school concert is that night so we’re going another time.”

“I’d go,” Bodhi says. “Which day?”

“They’re for seven to seven thirty on Tuesday.”

“Cool, I’ll go. Jyn will, too.”

“Really, Bodhi?” 

“You did say you liked Christmas lights,” Cassian says. 

She raises an eyebrow. “I do. I’d go. I take it you will, too?”

“Um… yeah, I guess,” he says, realizing he’s backed himself into a corner with that.

“Great!” Leia says, “I’ll get you the tickets this weekend.”

The conversation moves on and Bodhi brings out Catan, earning an assortment of groans, although by the time he sets up they have the maximum possible number of players. Ten minutes before the game ends Ben snatches a stuffed animal away from Poe, who starts to wail, and both sets of parents take their sons home, leaving the rest of them to a quieter remainder of the evening.

After he leaves Bodhi’s that night, Cassian doesn’t see Jyn for a few days. He arrives late to class and he’s in a rush after, but he doesn’t give it much thought until he sees the texts after his shift the following Tuesday.

_ Hey this is Jyn,  _ and then

_ Bodhi gave me your number _

He absolutely does not put down his phone for a moment, neither does he do strange little wiggle-dance before he responds.

_ What’s up? _

_ How are you getting to the park on Thursday? _

_ I dunno, probably the bus _

_ Why? _

_ Want to go together?  _

_ Since we live so close, I mean _

Cassian forces himself to wait a full thirty seconds before he replies. He can’t seem to desperate.

_ Sure, if you want _

_ Meet you at 6? _

_ Sure _

_ There’s a bus stop right in front of my building, we can meet here _

_ Sounds good! _

And so what if he punches the air as he puts his phone in his pocket. He’s going with Jyn to the Christmas train.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've never played The Resistance, consider yourself lucky. It's entirely yelling and conspiracy and there is pretty much no strategy. But anyway.
> 
> Also. I AM Kes Dameron here.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this yesterday but then I didn't have any internet, all, day, so that kind of went out the window. Sorry!
> 
> Anyway, part three! Featuring slightly over-the-top wingman Bodhi, the Christmas Train, and my inability to describe settings.

By Thursday afternoon Cassian’s starting to freak out. He’s picked what he’s wearing (which is ridiculous, because he’ll have his coat on the whole time), and checked the weather report (it’s not supposed to rain until tomorrow, but he might bring his umbrella anyway). His beard is exactly the length he likes it. He has automatic handwarmers in his pocket. And now he’s pacing, a half-hour before he’s supposed to meet Jyn.

She texted him her address this morning, not that he couldn’t have found her building without it ( _ Force, Andor, stalker much? _ ) He’s going to screw everything up somehow. He’ll end up saying the wrong thing and sounding like an idiot or a jerk or a creep, or more likely all at once. This was an awful idea.

When he gets to her building, exactly on time, Jyn’s already outside waiting, backlit by the lights in the lobby.

“Hey, Cassian.”

“Hey. How are you?”

“I’m alright." He follows her a hundred meters down the sidewalk and to the curb, where there are already several people waiting. “How about you? I didn’t see you in class on Monday.”

“Yeah, I had a physio appointment right after, I was in a bit of a rush.”

They get on the bus when it comes - there aren't many people going this way so late in the day, so they can both sit down for the twenty-minute ride. The texts come from Bodhi to both of them ten minutes in.

_ Hey guys, I’ve got a headache so I don’t think I can come tonight. _

_ You should still go! _

Jyn looks up from her phone at the same time he does. 

“I guess it’s just us,” she says. Her phone buzzes and she looks down at the message. “That is, if you still want to go?”

“I, um, yes. We should still go.”  _ This is not a date, this is not a date, this is not a date _

His phone buzzes moment later.

_ You’re welcome,  _ the text reads, this time to only Cassian.

_ I hate you _

_ :-)  _

_ You’ll thank me later. _

__

When they get off the bus they aren’t quite sure to go. They get directions from a family just leaving.

“When’s the last time you were here?” he asks, trying to make conversation as they follow the strings of lights hanging beside the path.

“It’s been a long time. My mum took me once – must have been when I was seven, the year we moved here, and then after she was – when I was thirteen I came with my godfather. How about you?”

“I’ve never been. When I was sixteen someone in the foster program took a whole group of kids, but I was grounded.”

“It’s pretty cheesy, so you have to embrace it. They have the biggest light display in the province, and, well, you know I’m a big fan of that.”

He can definitely believe her when the area comes into view. It’s bright as day when they walk through the tunnel and past the ticket booth. They’re twenty minutes early for their time slot, so there’s no rush as they wander around the display.

And the whole thing, it’s impressive. Every one of the trees is wrapped in lights, the spaces between filled with holiday scenes and patterns set to move and twinkle to music playing from the speakers every few paces. Cassian can even forgive the Marriah Carrey earworm that’ll be driving him insane for the next few days.

It’s early enough still that there are families out, and one stops to admire a life-size gingerbread house beside them.

“How do they make the lights move?” He hears one of the kids say. “Is it computers?”

“No,” says the other, with the solemn authority only a small child ever has, “It must be magic.”

Cassian glances at Jyn, who smiles slightly. “Cute,” she murmurs. He can’t help but smile back. 

They move on to the next scene, just as a volunteer rounds the corner with a donation container and a basket of candy canes.

“Ooh! Do you want one?” Jyn says, reaching into her jacket pocket. “I think I have a loonie.”

“Sure,” he says, and she’s gone from his side before he can finish the word. The volunteer, a teenage girl dressed as an elf, gives her a weird look as she takes two candy canes from the basket. She returns to give one to Cassian and immediately unwraps part of her own.

“I  _ love  _ candy canes,” she says, and he can’t help but grin.  _ This is not a date, this is not a date. _

They wander around until seven when they can get in line for the train itself. 

“So you’ll have to explain, here, what kind of train we’re talking. Because I’m picturing a weird skytrain, snd somehow that doesn’t seem quite right.”

She laughs at that, and he feels a bubble of pride in his chest.  _ Not a date.  _ “No, it looks like a toy train, and it’s open air.”

“OK, I see,” he says, still smiling as he bites off the tip of his candy cane.

She’s right – it does. The train looks like his favourite ornament on his first set of foster parents’ tree. He and Jyn end up near the front, two tiny cars away from the “engine.”

“Are you ready?” Jyn says, as they pull away from the boarding area to the sound of jingle bells from the speaker beside the track. It’s corny, of course it is. In the first minute or so they pass a neon sign exclaiming “Welcome to the North Pole!” and a group of penguins. 

“Wrong continent,” he murmurs, and Jyn punches his arm, almost hard enough to hurt. The rest of the ride is like that – they pass all nine life-size reindeer while a group of performers close to the track plays “Rudolf.” Jyn waves back at the family of polar bears. Cassian counts enough snowmen to form a sizable army. He does try, as instructed, to  _ embraces the cheese,  _ but…

“This is awful,” he says as they pass the elves’ workshop, complete with two jugglers sporting prosthetic pointy ears.

“Shut up, I love it!”

He rolls his eyes, craning his neck to see the last scene. “Let me guess. Santa Clause?”

“Yeah, genius. Now shut up!”

He shuts up, watching the two actors playing Santa and Mrs. Clause stand up to wave merrily at the train and its passengers from their brightly-lit platform. A group of performers sing “We Wish you a Merry Christmas,” and the train train pulls into the station while an announcement informs them that photos with Santa are available by donation. 

“That was certainly something,” Cassian says as he climbs out of the train after Jyn, “I can see why Leia would take Ben.”

“I don’t like what you’re implying, that was fantastic. Although it is really cold.”

“Oh, I have…” He digs in his pockets for the hand warmers. “Here!”

“You thought ahead, didn’t you? Thank you.”

“No problem. D’you want to get cocoa, or something? I saw they were selling it when we got on.”

“No. Well, yes, but it’s probably really expensive here. Let’s just go to Tim’s or something on the way back. I mean, if you want.”

“My friends have a café on Burrard, and they’ll be open for…” He checks the time on his phone. “At least another hour.”

“Alright, but you’re paying.”

“Yeah, yeah.”  _ Not a date. Not a date. _

They make their way out of the park, back past all the displays, and to the bus stop. Cassian checks the transit app for the bus number.

“Next bus in six minutes.”

They’re quiet for a minute or so, and slightly awkward. A different bus comes and they step back to let people off. 

“I heard it might snow next week,” He says. 

Jyn snorts. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“You know they got several feet closer to the river last year.”

“Yeah, and half an inch here. Are you hoping for a white Christmas? ‘Cause good luck with that.”

“It snows around Christmas sometimes! There was snow for my nephew’s first Christmas, which would be… seven years ago…”

“Ha. Yeah. I can live without snow. It always turns into ugly slush within a few days and then it’s awful.”

“I guess so. It’s nice when it falls, though. You can’t deny that.”

“Maybe not, but still. There’s the bus.”

It’s not busy again when the get on, but neither of them sit down this time. It’s only a few blocks.

“Have you ever met Baze and Chirrut?” Cassian asks after he pulls the cord for their stop. “Through Bodhi, I mean?”

“The names sound familiar but no, I don’t think so. They’re the ones who own this café?”

“Yeah. You’ll like them.”


	4. Chapter 4

They get off the bus a few blocks from Guardian, walking swiftly as the wind picks up. According to the billboard in front of the skytrain station it’s only negative three degrees, but without the heaters from the train area it seems colder than that. Soon they’re in front of the narrow storefront Cassian knows so well, the red awning lit from the inside.

Before the door is even closed Chirrut is smiling at them. “Cassian! We weren’t expecting you tonight.”

A few ot the college students scattered around the café look up briefly at the interruption.

“Hey, Chirrut.” He takes off his jacket, hanging it over the back of a chair at a table in front of the window and goes to the counter.

“Is this the girl Baze met last week?” Chirrut asks, and Cassian glances back at Jyn, who’s taking off her own jacket to sit down.

“Yeah, she is.” And before Chirrut can press, “But I’m here for cocoa. Two mediums, please.”

“You get off this time since your lady is waiting. But you’d better be in tomorrow to tell me about her.” He gives Cassian’s order ticket to the other worker behind the counter just as the door opens again. There’s a high-pitched giggle and he cocks his head, visibly confused. “Rey?”

He comes around the counter as she runs up to him, followed by Baze, who rubs a hand over his face. 

“She had a bad dream, and then she decided she needed a hug from you, too. And a story.” 

Chirrut picks her up just as she looks up and exclaims, “Cassun!” 

Cassian waves at her as he pays and returns to the table and Jyn.

“Who’s this?” She asks, smirking.

“That’s Rey, she’s three. Baze and Chirrut adopted her last spring.”

“They all seem sweet.”

“Definitely, yeah. I met them when I was in high school, and Chirrut was probably the first to show any interest in me as a person since I was little. They’re my family now”

He doesn’t think about how heavy that sounds until he sees Jyn’s little sympathetic smile.  _ Force,  _ why is he so bad at this. He gets up to get their drinks. The girl behind the counter hands him a paper bag along with the mugs.

“Um, I only ordered-”

“Chirrut’s orders. They wouldn’t be any good tomorrow, anyway.”

“Well, thank you, I guess.” There’s no point in arguing, so he takes both mugs and the paper bag.

"What’s this?” Jyn says when he sits down again, taking the bag. 

“Good question. What does it look like?”

“Do you have plans for Christmas?” She says, eventually.

“Yeah. I’ll be here, actually. Baze and Chirrut do Christmas with anyone who shows up. Usually it’s me and Bodhi, and my roommate Kay, and a couple others. It’s good. Low key.”

“That sounds nice.” She takes a sip of her cocoa.

"How about you? Where are you for Christmas?”

“Oh, um. You know, around here, probably just at home.”

“Any family visiting?” He asks, and immediately regrets it as her eyes seem to close off. “Sorry, you don’t-“

“No, it’s ok. My… my only family is my dad, and we aren’t… we’re not on the best of terms.”

Cassian winces internally. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

"You didn’t.”

He bites into his gingerbread, trying to ignore the slight heaviness. It’s good - Baze is justifiably proud of his cookies after how long he spent learning to bake when he and Chirrut first bought the café more than a decade ago.

It was shortly before Cassian knew them, shortly before Chirrut invited a scruffy, shivering teenage boy into the shop. He’d been waiting under the awning for the worst of the rain to pass, until someone complained inside about the “urchin loitering outside” and he was brought inside for a cup of tea and told to come back the next day.

“Aw, look,” Jyn says, shaking him from his thoughts, as she gestures behind her. He turns to see where Baze is sitting, Rey in his lap and a picture book open on his chest. They’re both fast asleep.

Cassian laughs to himself. “I’m not surprised. That girl, she’s so spoiled. Got both of them around her little finger.”

“They’re a cute family. How long did you say they’ve had her?”

“Almost a year now. She’s settled in really well. You met Poe and Ben, she loves to follow them around, and she’s made friends at preschool.”

“That’s good.” She smiles and breaks off a piece of her cookie. “So what kind of things are you into?”

He’s quietly thrilled to learn more about her, and to find out where their interests overlap (movies, and hockey, but not music). It feels like no time at all before Chirrut comes to remind them the café closes in a few minutes. He wakes Baze, who makes a sleepy growling sound, gathers Rey in his arms and  “So, let’s get going, then?” Jyn pulls her coat back on. He does too, and they leave the shop, steeping back into the night.

-  
  


After they get off the bus and part ways, Cassian finally takes out his phone, which has buzzed six times in the last hour. He rolls his eyes when he sees his entire home screen filled with text notifications, all from Bodhi. The last one says  _ call me, I need to know everything,  _ and he does as he locks the door to his apartment. Bodhi picks up on the second ring.

“Kriff, I thought you would never call.”

“I just got home, of course it - “

“You just got home? It’s after nine! Where were you?”

“We went to Guardian after, that’s all.”

“And did you ask her out?”

“Did I - no, of course not. And by the way, that was a really crappy thing to do.

“Is that anyway to speak to me, who got you a whole evening alone with the woman you like?”

“Jerk.”

“Love you, too. But actually, how did it go?”

Cassian settles onto the couch and sighs. “It was great. She’s just… Bodhi, she’s amazing. And I don’t think I’ve managed to scare her off, yet.”

“Text her now.”

“Why?”

“To ask her out! Like,  _ I had a great time last night, want to get dinner sometime. _ ” 

“Nope, that’s… I can’t do that. She’s probably not interested.”

“How many times do I need to tell you, Cass, you’re her type. Do it.”

“Not happening.”

Bodhi groans, but thankfully moves on. When the conversation does turn back to Jyn, Cassian will admit it’s his doing.

“Are you inviting her to Christmas?” He asks, trying to sound casual and sure that Bodhi knows who “her” is. “She said she’s not doing anything.”

There’s a moment of silence from the other end. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re going to. I’ve made all the moves for you, Cassian, now it’s your turn.” And no amount of protesting, it seems, is going to change his mind.

It’s a fair point. Cassian can admit that to himself after Bodhi hangs up. If he wants her there for Christmas, he needs to invite her, and yes. He’s going to it.

Now it’s just a matter of how.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up rewriting almost all of this yesterday (while I was watching TFA, which might explain why there's so much "Rey has a happy childhood"), so if there are any mistakes please let me know. Posting a little earlier this week because I get to see TRoS on Friday!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who left the notebook this chapter was written in at a friends house and had to rewrite the entire thing this morning?  
> So that was fun. I'm sorry this is so choppy, abrupt, and unfinished, the first version made a lot more sense/had a conclusion. I wanted so badly to have it done for Christmas. I'm really sorry.

By the next morning he’s decided. Just a text - casual as anything, and he’ll send it this afternoon. 

It’s anything but casual that afternoon. He’s standing in the canned food aisle of the superstore, basket forgotten at his feet, writing and deleting texts.

~~_ Bodhi was saying  _ ~~

~~_ So about christmas _ ~~

~~_ You said last night _ ~~

He groans. Nothing’s quite right. Simple, he should be keeping it simple. He’d be mortified if she thought he had spent so long on what should be a nothing message.

_ Do you want join us at guardian for christmas? _

And that… that seems right. That’s casual. That’s simple. He’s overthinking this. 

He sends the message and finishes his shopping, doing his best to forget about it. When he’s checking out his phone vibrates in his pocket and he almost forgets his wallet on the desk in his hurry to read her response.

_ Details? _

He checks the email from Chirrut, standing in front of the newspaper racks.

_6_ _pm for christmas eve and then 9 on christmas morning._

_ How are you getting there? Can I get a ride? _

_ Bodhi’s picking me up, I’m sure he’ll drive you too _

_ Snack to share, I guess? I think that’s it _

_ Cool _

She doesn’t seem to think it’s weird of him to invite her, which is excellent. He’s just putting his phone back in his pocket when it buzzes again. He has to read the messages four times.

_ Almost forgot, thx for the cocoa and everything last night. _

_ I had a really good time _

That sounds just like what Bodhi told him to send, but she can’t mean it that way. Can she? There’s no way she means anything by it, they’re just friends. If they’re even that.

_ Me too _

-

Two days before Christmas, Cassian spreads everything he’s bought across the living room with a pile of brown paper. There are a lot of things to wrap, and as much as he likes giving gifts he’s never loved wrapping them. Kay’s helping, at least, having already ordered them based on how easy they’ll be. The first one is Bodhi and Luke’s a game called Love Letter that Cassian had never heard of but Shara recommended. The next is a “Seasons” calendar for Amilyn.

“Here, wrap mine now,” Kay says from his spot on the couch, handing him the Blu-ray copy of  _ Inception _ , purchased at Costco the weekend before American Thanksgiving, when he told Cassian it would be cheapest.

"This isn’t normal, you know, right?”

“What isn’t?”

“I don’t think most people pick out their Christmas gifts themselves and then watch their friends wrap them.”

“They should. It’s much easier for everyone.”

Cassian rolls his eyes as he tapes down a corner. “Pick a gift tag.”

The next things are for Baze and Chirrut, a jigsaw puzzle “for the café” that Baze will undoubtedly complete by Boxing day and two kilograms of Nutella. He makes Kay wrap Rey’s soccer ball and Little Critter books, because  _ how the heck do you wrap a soccer ball?  _ That leaves just one more. And he wants this one to look nice.

“You’re aware you’re being ridiculous,” Kay says, “I’m sure she doesn’t expect it to be this fancy. She has met you.”

Cassian looks up, glaring. “Thank you, for that.”

"What I mean is that she has already formed an impression you and the way you wrap her gift is unlikely to change it.”

"Sure, Kay. Are you wrapping yours today?”

“I already have.”

Of course he has. “Ok, then I’m going to watch a movie. You’re welcome to join me if you promise not to make comments.”

“I only promise if you promise you won’t start crying when the characters kiss.”

“That happened  _ once  _ and I had a 104º fever.”

-

Christmas Eve, Cassian’s bouncing on the balls of his feet like he’s eight while he waits for Bodhi and Luke. All his presents are in a laundry basket with a container of ginger molasses cookies. When they pull up he puts the basket in the trunk and gets into the back as quickly as possible, but his hair still ends up wet in the rain. Jyn’s already in the back, Luke and Bodhi up front , and she smiles in greeting.

“Merry Christmas, Andor,” Luke says as they pull into traffic.

“Hey, Luke. Welcome back, how was the flight?”

“Delayed, by three hours, but it was fine. How about you, how’s work been? And classes?”

"It’s been fine, but I am glad to have a few days off.”

Chirrut and Rey are at the door to greet them and give hugs when they arrive. Cassian puts his presents under the tree and says hello to Amilyn. Her hair is highlighter green, now and it suits her in some strange way, like every crazy colour she tries. Jyn hangs back until Bodhi takes he brownies to put them on the table and drags her over. 

“Amilyn, this is Jyn. Jyn, Amilyn. And you’ve met Chirrut already.”

She gets along well enough with everyone. By the time Baze comes down with an enormous pot of chili an hour after they arrived she seems at ease, accepting the gentle ribbing that’s always present in their social circle and giving a few witty asides of her own. She’s so clever it’s absurd, and Cassian has a hard time focusing on any of his conversations.

By pushing the two biggest tables together, there's room for all of them to sit together for supper, all nine of them now that Kay is here. After supper it’s The Muppet Family Christmas. Rey crawls from lap to lap across the couch the whole movie and insists on hugging everyone in the room before Chirrut takes her up to bed after. There’s one more game of Telestrations, and then everyone leaves for home.

“See you all tomorrow,” Bodhi says as they leave to pile back into the car, this time with Kay in the back as well.

“Thank you for the invitation,” Jyn says as she climbs in next to Cassian. “You’ve all been so kind.”

“Yeah, I’m really glad you could come,” he says.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope everyone's having a better day than me, hoping at least to have the ending up by New Years. I'm sorry if this was disappointing, I'm trying my best here.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry, I've been going through a bit of a rough patch with my mental health. I'm more early for next Christmas than late, but if anyone still cares, here we are.

The next morning when Cassian and Kay get in the car it’s only Bodhi and Luke. Bodhi’s on the phone, and he holds a finger to his lips.

“I know, I know. But we just picked up Kay and Cassian… No, I’m not letting you be alone for Christmas, we’ll be right there… He’ll understand. I promise… I know. See you in a minute. Bye.”

He puts his phone away and sighs. “Morning, guys. Merry Christmas,” he says after a moment.

Cassian returns the greeting, but there’s little else said in the short time it takes to get to Jyn’s building. When she gets in the car her eyes are red, and she looks like she hasn’t slept. “Merry Christmas,” she says quietly.

When they walk into the café, the bell over the door chiming, Rey jumps up from the table where there are crayons spread across a Dreamworks Dragons colouring book. She’s wearing a hockey jersey at least two sizes two big.

“Come see, come see!” She grabs two of the hands closest to her – Bodhi and Kay – and tries her best to drag them across the room to a Rey-sized bike without pedals. Cassian follows, smiling as she tries to swing a leg over the seat.

“Not in the shop, Rey,” Chirrut says from where he’s setting the tables for breakfast. Rey scowls, but puts down the bike. “We can go to the park so you can try it later.”

Amilyn arrives shortly after, her hair wet from the rain on the walk from the skytrain station. Luke is sent to do the first shift of helping Baze in the kitchen, dragging Bodhi along with him. He whispers something to Jyn before he goes, but she shakes her head.

It’s the quiet, casual sort of morning that Cassian’s always loved about Christmas. He reads a story to Rey, plays a round of Flux with Luke and Bodhi while Amilyn’s in the kitchen, does a decent job of whipping cream when it’s his turn to help get breakfast ready. The only one who hasn’t settled completely into the spirit of things by the time they sit down is Jyn, and even she seems to become less tense the longer she spends in the café.

When it’s time for breakfast, he expects her to take the open seat beside Bodhi. So Cassian’s surprised, but not unpleasantly, when Jyn sits down beside him.

“I didn’t have a turn in the kitchen,” she says, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, “I assume you know what we’re having?”

“Waffles and strawberries. It’s a tradition.”

“That sounds like much better of a tradition than the ones I grew up with.” She smiles, and  _ gosh , _ she’s pretty.

Bodhi and Amilyn help Baze carry food out, waffles from scratch with strawberries and whipped cream, as well as Luke’s egg casserole. Breakfast is the loud, friendly affair you’d expect from a big family on Christmas morning, good-natured teasing and smiles passed around as much as the maple syrup. 

When everyone’s finished eating and the table is cleared they sit down to exchange gifts. Rey says something to Baze, and he smiles and announces, “If it’s ok with everyone else, Rey wants to go first.”

Rey makes her way around the circle giving each of them, with a serious expression and solemn “merry christmas,” a bubble wand with a bow wrapped around the top. She even has one for Jyn, who seems surprised when she smiles and thanks her. After that it’s just on this side of chaos, despite Kay and Amilyn’s best attempts at a system. Eventually they give up on that.

Cassian’s pleased with his gifts (two movie vouchers, a knit scarf, a coffee mug, and a coupon for a tupperware full of frozen cookies to pack in his lunches), but he’s also pleased to notice Jyn. He’d been afraid, this morning, that because no one else knew she was coming she would feel left out. But aside from Rey’s bubbles, she has three gifts – one from Bodhi, the entire Chronicles of Narnia in one book, a similar coupon to his from Baze and Chirrut (they’re always prepared for strays) and his own present, a box of tea (the tea that entailed twenty minutes walking around the weird-smelling store in the mall and ten minutes on the phone with Leia, the only tea drinker he could think of. It’s supposed to be candy cane and no, it was not overkill).

Her mood seems much improved since the beginning of the day, and she smiles as she thanks him and hands him a little box, with ten dollars for Tim Horton’s. “I wasn’t sure what you would like,” she says, as if she has to explain herself.

When all the wrapping paper is thrown away, Chirrut reminds Rey about his offer of trying out her new bike. It’s still raining, but Baze bundles her into her raincoat and between everyone there are enough umbrellas to go around. All of them, save Kay who remains to work on the puzzle he started the night before, walk the fifteen minutes to the high school for its mostly smooth parking lot.

It’s entertaining to watch Rey wobble around the parking lot, refusing most help and taking her feet off the ground far too fast. But the wind is picking up now, and Cassian’s starting to get very cold. The coat he wore today is not nearly warm enough.

“I’m going to head back now,” he says after a little while, “I’ll help Kay with that puzzle.”

Bodhi hands him his umbrella. “Here, I can share with Jyn or Chirrut on the way back.”

He’s grateful for it when he gets out onto the sidewalk, the rain having increased while they were under the cover. It’s several blocks, and he’s only made it a quarter of the way before he hears something behind him. He turns, and that’s when he sees Jyn following behind him, almost running to get out of the rain.. He stops to let her catch up.

“Thank you,” she says when she’s joined him under the umbrella, trying to brush the raindrops out of her hair. “I wanted to head back but I didn’t want to leave all of them without umbrellas.”

“You’re very welcome.”

Close together now, they continue on down the street and it’s another block before either of them speak again.

“Sorry I’ve been so… weird, today. If you noticed. My dad called this morning. I haven’t handled it very well.”

Ah. “That’s understandable. Sorry you have to deal with that.”

“I’ll sort it out.”

There’s another long moment of silence.  _ This is an opportunity _ , Cassian realizes with a start. This is his chance.

“So, um-“ he begins, at the same time Jyn says,

“Listen, I-“

“Oh, sorry, go on,” he says.

“No, it’s ok. You first.”

He rubs the back of his neck.  _ Kriff _ , he’s committed now. He has to say something.

“It’s just… I… I know I don’t know you that well, and you don’t really know me, but I…” He trails off. This is an awful idea.

They’ve stopped walking at this point, and Jyn turns to face him. “Yes?”

Cassian steels himself“I really like you. And I was wondering if, maybe, I could take you to dinner? Or something else, I guess, I just – “ He forces himself to shut up. There. He said it, and now it’s in her hands.

“Oh,” is all she says at first, and then, “I… Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes. I’d love to go out with you, Cassian, that sounds great.”

Somehow, he manages to get himself together enough to respond, because  _ yes, she said yes.  _ “Great, that’s… great!”

Well. Maybe not the most eloquent response, but he can work on that, and he can’t bring himself to care because she’s smiling and he’s going to melt.

She turns back in the direction they were walking, and he takes the hint to keep walking. There’s another block behind them before he remembers.

“Sorry, you were trying to say something before?”

“Oh,” she says with a little laugh, “Well. A similar thing to what you said, actually. Just a little less articulate.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, well. I was just going to get up and ask to kiss you.”

Cassian freezes, his brain stalling. “I – What?”

“You were much more polite.”

“I’m sorry. You… you were going to…”

She laughs, and  _ kriff _ , she’s  _ teasing  _ him. “Yep. What do you think? Should I still try it?”

“I…” She’s given every hint, and then some. It’s his move. “Can I kiss you?”

And then she’s coming up on her tiptoes, laughter still painted in her eyes. “You’d better.”

He does. Her hands move up into his hair, and he wraps the arm not holding the umbrella around her waist. She pulls away after a second. “Bodhi’s never going to let me hear the end of this,” she mutters, and Cassian laughs. Laughs because he still can’t believe it, laughs because of course that’s how the universe is. 

“Yeah, me neither.”

“And speaking of Bodhi, we’d better get going. I’d like to delay the “I told you so” talk for as long as possible.”

“He’ll be insufferable,” Cassian agrees.

Together they turn to walk back toward the cafe, an echo of the night of the train in their approach. Jyn pauses in front of the door, under the awning. She smiles. “Merry Christmas, Cassian.”

“Merry Christmas, Jyn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HALLMARK
> 
> Well, I finished one WIP! I'll be getting back into You Aren't the One Lying pretty soon, and the second part of Miss Erso is just about ready (I hope) so hopefully you'll here more from me. Thank you all so much for reading!  
> (I accept concrit)


End file.
